INTERPOL Integrity in Sport Bi-Weekly Bulletin 26 August 2020 - 14 September 2020
INVESTIGATIONS
Cyprus
Football clubs told to provide financial details
The sports ethics committee has asked 33 football clubs to provide it with financial information in a bid to prevent match fixing, its chairman said on Wednesday.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Andreas Papacharalambous said the match fixing notices received from European governing body Uefa in the past years have provided the committee with the tools and direction.
The committee has recently sent letters to 33 clubs in three divisions, and the women’s league, asking for information on their financials, contracts with players, managers and agents, as well as the capacity of the board members to determine whether there is conflict of interest.
Numerous notices have been received from Uefa in previous seasons, indicating suspicious betting activity even in top-flight fixtures. Authorities, however, have been unable to prosecute anyone in connection with the notices.
All the Uefa notices show suspicious betting activity, usually in Asian markets where the identities of the punters cannot be determined.
The committee has the power to cancel a fixture if suspicious betting activity is detected.
“Based on the red notices, we have found weaknesses and we are trying to prevent” potential match fixing, Papacharalambous said.
In February, police arrested a second division club chairman and a referee in connection with fixing a game. The chairman is also a former first division referee. The case is currently in court.
One of the island’s biggest clubs, Omonia has also come out in public claiming corruption in Cypriot football was rampant and championships could be bought.
The performance of certain referees over the years has also raised suspicions among clubs and fans
The Cyprus Football Association had decided to use foreign officials in certain games before the championship was interrupted due to the coronavirus. It previously did the same in the 2009-2010 playoffs and some cup finals.
Source: 27 August 2020,
Cyprus Mail
Football
https://cyprus-mail.com/2020/08/27/football-clubs-told-to-provide-financial-details/
Dota2
Omega League Americas division sees match fixing accusations
Match fixing is one of the biggest problems facing the Dota 2 pro scene right now, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.
The Omega League Americas Ancient division is nearing its conclusion and one of the finalists is being accused of a number of shady dealings. A Redditor compiled a list of accusations against xixihaha, the team set to play against business associates in the finals of the tournament. The allegations are long and seemingly supported by records taken from DotaBuff and WePlay!’s official site.
The allegations start with xixihaha’s run through the qualifiers, which are alleged to have been rife with borrowed accounts and xixihaha players competing with multiple teams in the same set of qualifiers. This includes the names of players on the xixihaha lineup being found across multiple teams.
Worse are allegations of match fixing during the Omega League Americas Ancient division playoffs. The Redditor claims that xixihaha used borrowed accounts to shift the betting lines for its matchup against Boonz + Goonz in the quarterfinals, with the 8,000 MMR players using accounts ranked under 6,000 MMR to lure in bettors. The most worrying part is that they also claim xixihaha threw a game against Pace University.
Match fixing has long been a problem in esports, but it’s becoming progressively invasive in Dota 2 of late. Though smaller leagues have historically hosted most of Dota 2’s shadier games, match fixing has crept its way all the way to the top of the scene in 2020.
The biggest example came in the qualifiers to the StarLadder ImbaTV Minor Season 3, which saw The International 2014 winner Newbee accused of match fixing. Multiple prominent Chinese leagues have banned the organizations and its players due to these allegations.
The online league era has seen a number of teams disqualified from events due to match fixing allegations, including the WePlay! Pushka League's banning of CIS squad CyberTRAKTOR being thrown out for alleged match fixing.
The match between business associates and xixihaha is currently scheduled to be held as planned, though this may change as the allegations circulate
Source: 7 September 2020,
Win.gg
eSports
https://win.gg/news/5412/omega-league-americas-division-sees-match-fixing-accusation
ESIC
ESIC Reveals updates regarding MDL Match Fixing situation
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has recently revealed that they have been carrying out 15 investigations regarding match-fixing in ESEA’s Mountain Dew League. Undoubtedly, such alarming news threatens the competitive integrity of CS:GO. The issue has been prevailing persistently over the years. The latest development in the case saw some involved perpetrators being charged following a police investigation back in May this year. Reports suggest that some pros were involved in the matter as well. So how did the issue catch ESIC’s eye in the first place? The Commission has a ‘global integrity monitoring network’ which sent them alerts about match-fixing activity in the MDL. Now, this was around 18 months ago, and they have received multiple such alerts since.
ESIC has released the current update to prevent speculations on social media regarding this issue of tremendous concern. The Commission has confirmed that they are on its way to finalizing the investigation. In the official update, they have explained the nature of the investigation and their current position on the MDL situation.
“Investigations into match-fixing are complex and require significant cooperation between a variety of international stakeholders comprising of betting operators, government bodies, law enforcement agencies, and industry stakeholders.”
As a result, these investigations tend to become quite time consuming. However, as they mentioned, they are on their way to conclude this investigation. The Commission has stated that they have left no stone unturned in the investigation. More so, since the prospect of the allegations overlaps into criminal illegality.
ESIC will reveal a formal statement in four weeks from now. Looks like ESIC has restored the compromised competitive integrity of CS:GO and has done a beautiful job at that.
Source: 3 September 2020,
Essentially Sports.com
eSports
SENTENCES/SANCTIONS
United Arab Emirates
Two UAE players charged under ICC anti-corruption code
United Arab Emirates (UAE) players Amir Hayat and Ashfaq Ahmed have been charged with five counts of breaching cricket’s anti-corruption rules and provisionally suspended with immediate effect.
The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) had suspended Ashfaq during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in October last year but no formal charges had been laid so far.
Both Amir and Ashfaq have been charged with the following breaches of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code:
Article 2.1.3 – Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to: (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any International Match; or (b) ensure for Betting or other corrupt purposes the occurrence of a particular incident in an International Match.
Article 2.4.2 – failing to disclose to the ACU (without unnecessary delay) the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit, (a) that the Participant knew or should have known was given to him/her to procure (directly or indirectly) any breach of the Anti-Corruption Code, or (b) that was made or given in circumstances that could bring the Participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute.
Article 2.4.3 – failing to disclose to the ACU (without unnecessary delay) all gifts (whether monetary or otherwise), hospitality and/or other non-contractual benefits offered to a Participant that have a value of US$750 or more, whether or not the circumstances set out in Article 2.4.2 are present, save that there shall be no obligation to disclose any (i) personal gifts, hospitality and/or other non-contractual benefits offered by or on behalf of any close friend or relative of the Participant, (ii) any food or beverage gifts or (iii) cricket hospitality gifts in connection with Matches the Participant is participating in.
Article 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code.
Article 2.4.5 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any facts or matters that came to his attention that may evidence Corrupt Conduct under the Code by another Participant.
The players have 14 days from 13 September to respond to the charges. The ICC will not make any further comment in respect of these charges at this stage.
The ICC Anti-Corruption Code can be found here.
FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT
C. Rajshekhar Rao
Manager – Media and Communications
Dubai Mobile- +971 50 554 5029
Email-
Source: 14 September 2020,
INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL
Cricket
https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/1826830
LEGISLATION
United States
House panel approves bill to combat doping in horse racing
WASHINGTON — A key House committee on Wednesday gave bipartisan approval to legislation to create national standards for the horse racing industry to prevent fatalities and discourage illegal medication practices. The Senate's top Republican said he would press to pass the bill before the year is out.
The 46-5 vote in a Democratic-controlled panel is a good sign for the bill's prospects
“Our bill delivers commonsense medication and track safety standards that protect America’s horses and jockeys, needed progress that will put this popular and historic sport on track for a strong recovery and a bright future," said top sponsor Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., whose district is home to Saratoga Race Course, a premier racetrack.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., whose state is home to the country's top breeding outfits and the Kentucky Derby, introduced identical legislation with senior Democrats from California and New York, which also have top racetracks and breeding operations.
The “Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act" comes after the racing industry has been hit by a series of doping scandals and a rash of fatal breakdowns in recent years. It is also struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic, with tracks like Churchill Downs holding races — including last weekend's Kentucky Derby, delayed from May — without spectators.
Several top trainers were charged earlier this year with illegally doping their horses with performance-enhancing drugs, including Jason Servis, whose horse Maximum Security finished first in the 2019 Derby but was disqualified for racing interference.
The legislation is aimed at empowering an independent Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority with federal recognition and enforcement power to set uniform standards for medication, track safety, and testing of horses for PEDs.
“Unfortunately, the coronavirus isn’t thoroughbred racing’s only challenge. In recent years, tragedies on the track, medication scandals and an inconsistent patchwork of regulations have cast clouds over the future,” McConnell said in a floor speech.
While blue-blood racing organizations such as the Jockey Club and key racing circuits support the idea, McConnell has not attracted cosponsors from states like Florida, Louisiana and New Jersey, where some of the sport's scandals have occurred and where oversight is considered uneven at best. But Frank Pallone, D-N.J., chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce panel, is a strong supporter.
McConnell said in a brief hallway interview that the industry has long been plagued by disunity and that after reading a Washington Post editorial questioning whether racing should remain legal he told stakeholders “in the strongest possible way that they needed to get together or I would try to do it for them. And they did get together.”
McConnell said he hopes to win passage of the legislation before the end of the congressional session and plans to discuss the topic with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Also at issue is a series of horse fatalities in California in recent years, which has garnered the industry bad press and enemies like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
The legislation faces challenges in the Senate, given the time crunch and potential opposition. But McConnell said he would press the issue in a post-election lame duck session
Source: 10 September 2020,
NCB News Horse Racing
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Sport Integrity Bill Approved
The eradication of sport corruption, doping and illegal betting, among other vices in Zimbabwe, took a major step forward when Cabinet approved Principles on the Proposed Zimbabwe Sport Integrity Bill this week.
The proposal comes hard on the heels when sport in Zimbabwe has been ravaged by allegations of match manipulation, theft, misappropriation of funds and election rigging.
The bill, if passed into law, is likely to be a deterrent measure to those whomight want to involve themselves in illegal practices.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, said after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting that Cabinet approved principles of the bill following a presentation by Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister, Kirsty Coventry.
“Cabinet considered and approved Principles on the Proposed Zimbabwe Sport Integrity Bill from the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation,’’ Mutsvangwa said.
‘’The Bill seeks to provide for the elimination of sport corruption, doping, competition manipulation and illegal betting among other vices.
“It will also allow Zimbabwe to, inter alia: work with other governments, regionally and internationally, to combat doping, competition manipulation and corruption in sport by complying with the Olympic Charter, UNESCO Convention on the Elimination of Doping in Sport, Statute of the African Union Sports Council, among other global integrity guidelines in sport to which Zimbabwe is a signatory to.’’
The bill will now have to go through the processes of consultations, readings in parliament before it is passed into law, if lawmakers are agreeable to it.
Source: 29 August 2020,
Herald Zimbabwe
https://www.herald.co.zw/sport-integrity-bill-approved/
BETTING
Asian Racing Federation
Asian Racing Federation Anti-illegal Betting Taskforce launches quarterly bulletin
The Asian Racing Federation’s Anti-Illegal Betting Taskforce, a group of experts from law enforcement, sports integrity, academia and inter-governmental organisations, has launched a quarterly bulletin available to all stakeholders in sports integrity.
The first bulletin, available here ARF Anti-Illegal Betting Taskforce Quarterly Bulletin, covers the impact of COVID 19 on illegal betting markets and finds:
•A major increase in betting via online legal and illegal betting websites, with more betting operators taking bets on horse racing. •Major Asian illegal betting exchanges are adding more customers and more revenue during the pandemic. •Online customer growth is expanding even further and “will be similar to the Big Bang” in the City of London financial market deregulation according to one experienced professional bettor. •Professional betting is becoming corporatised as sports betting becomes a commoditised investment that some investors are adding to their portfolios.
To subscribe to the bulletin, please click the link below:
Source: 14 September 2020, Asian Racing Federation Anti-illegal Betting Taskforce
Horse Racing
https://asianracing.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ffa541835f711c92cb4299e63&id=7971e33499
Singapore
From illegal horse-betting to e-commerce scams, 157 detained in week-long anti-crime crackdown in Singapore
SINGAPORE — In a week-long blitz, 157 people were detained for various crimes, from illegal bookmaking to e-commerce offense.
The multi-agency anti-crime operation conducted from Aug 23 to 30 led to the arrests of some of the 128 men and 29 women. The suspects are aged between 16 and 81.
The operation covered various locations in Jurong West, Tuas, Choa Chu Kang, Bukit Panjang and Bukit Batok, and was led by the Jurong Police Division.
It was supported by officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau, Land Transport Authority and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.
In addition to those detained, 310 persons were also checked by the Singapore Police Force during the crackdown.
The Straits Times was present at a police bust on illegal horse-betting taking place at a Jurong West coffee shop on Aug 23 at around 2.30pm.
At the coffee shop, 13 men and one woman between the ages of 53 and 72 were detained, with police seizing $4,421.
ST noted that the illegal activity took place in broad daylight and in full view of other coffee shop patrons and stallholders.
At the scene, the police seized bags of evidence, including what looked to be numbered betting slips, newspapers containing details of horse races, and fat stacks of cash.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Devrajan Bala, commander of Jurong Police Division, said: “This joint operation led by Jurong Police Division is an ongoing enforcement effort to clamp down on criminal activities.”
“The police will continue to work closely with other law enforcement agencies to take tough enforcement action against those who are involved in criminal activities.” The authorities gave a breakdown of those picked up and the offenses involved.
In separate busts, 21 men and six women aged between 18 and 81 were detained in connection with public gaming, vice-related activities, being suspected members of secret societies, as well as for traffic and vehicle-related offenses.
Meanwhile, 28 men and one woman aged between 49 and 79 were taken in for illegal bookmaking activities, and are currently being investigated for offenses under the Betting Act. Cash amounting to more than $8,000 and betting-related paraphernalia were seized.
Another 53 men and 14 women, aged between 16 and 70, are under investigation for assisting in loansharking activities and loan scams.
During the operation, 19 men and seven women, aged between 17 and 63, were detained for e-commerce scams and commercial crime-related offenses. Preliminary investigations by the authorities revealed that they were allegedly involved in 39 cases reported islandwide involving more than $592,000.
Separately, seven men and one woman aged between 24 and 55 were detained by the police for suspected drug and customsrelated offenses.
The police seized 45 pills, suspected to be controlled drugs, as well as 10 cartons and 24 sticks of assorted brands of duty-unpaid cigarettes.
Investigations against all suspects are ongoing.
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook Source: 31 August 2020, The Straits Times/Asia News Network
All Sports
Starlizard Integrity Services, Stats Perform Integrity
Global Report 2020: Suspicious betting trends in Global football
The 2020 edition of the ‘Suspicious Betting Trends in Global Football’ report aims to provide fellow stakeholders in the sports integrity community, including governing organisations, public bodies, academia and the media, as well as the general public, with a meaningful and informative snapshot of current trends in suspicious football betting patterns. We believe there is a distinct lack of information available in the public domain and so as stakeholders, we have sought to address this.
To that effect, we have collected and analysed vast amounts of data across football matches played in 2019 in order to present the findings in this report, which has seen a coming together of two private sector companies in an innovative collaboration, harnessing the different skills and expertise of each entity. As part of the process, information on each suspicious match identified in this report is shared with governing bodies and other relevant integrity stakeholders on a non-commercial basis in order to support their work in protecting the integrity of their sport.
The aim of this report is neither to accuse nor make assumptions. It seeks simply to show where football has irregular betting markets associated with it and act as a guide as to where integrity issues might exist from a betting market perspective. No further inferences should be made without further investigation – the findings of this report serve as indicators rather than indictments. We hope the results of our efforts are useful and provide the context they are intended to deliver.
Source: Starlizard Integrity Services,
Stats Perform Integrity,
3 September 2020,
Starlizard Integrity Services,
Stats Perform Integrity
Football
GOOD PRACTICES
FIFA; International Soccer Players' Union
FIFA endorses app to report match-fixing approaches
A smartphone app developed by the international soccer players' union allowing professional players to anonymously report match-fixing approaches was endorsed by the FIFA on Friday.
The "Red Button" whistleblower app ensures anonymity to protect players who otherwise may fear consequences to their career or personal safety, FIFPro said in a statement.
With players facing disciplinary action for failing to report a match-fixing approach, there must be a way for them to do this without fear that they are putting themselves, their families and their careers in danger," said FIFPro legal director Roy Vermeer.
"The Red Button app provides this facility and will help players manage this considerable risk that, through no fault of their own, might confront them at any time."
Under the collaboration agreement, the FIFA will investigate confidential information submitted through the union-owned app, which is "built with technology that ensures no trace of a report is left on their smartphones", said the announcement.
The app, which is being distributed through national player associations, also gives players the option to submit contact information so investigators can contact them confidentially.
Soccer is the most-targeted sport by international organized crime, according to Europol — the European Union's agency for law enforcement cooperation.
FIFA already has confidential reporting platforms — such as the FIFA Integrity app — that players can still use.
Oliver Jaberg, one of FIFA's top integrity and anti-doping officers, said they "look forward to collaborating with FIFPro on this new initiative".
The Red Button app originated in a partnership between Finland's players association and government.
Players across sports have a high-degree of trust in reporting systems managed by their union, according to a University of Liverpool Management School report. On FIFPro's website, Samir Arab described how he rejected a 3,000 euro (USD 3,500) offer to fix a game when he played for Malta's under-21 national team in 2016.
He said he was too scared to report it to soccer authorities. Police eventually investigated and Arab co-operated, but he was still banned from soccer for two years.
"I lost two years of my career," Arab said in his endorsement of the union app.
"I lost two years of progress." AP
Source: 11 September 2020,
The Tribune Football https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sports/fifa-endorses-app-to-report-match-fixing-approaches-139805
IOC
IOC initiates International Safeguarding Officer in Sport Certificate
As part of its ongoing efforts to promote athletes’ safety and wellbeing, the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today approved the establishment of the “International Safeguarding Officer in Sport Certificate”. The course leading to certification is set to commence in September 2021. This is a first of its kind because there is currently no certificate or minimum standard of education or training for safeguarding officers in sport on an international level.
The five-month education course will be developed by an International Advisory Board of experts, under three Programme Directors, and will be fully aligned with other international efforts to protect athletes and align sports policies and programmes with the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
It will be hosted on sportsoracle. The course will include a final examination, which must be passed in order to receive the certification.
Registration for this course – which will be open to anyone, but aimed in particular at International Federations (IFs), National Federations (NFs) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) – will incur a fee. Successful candidates proposed by the NOCs will be able to apply for Olympic Solidarity scholarships to enrol in this course.
“The safety and wellbeing of athletes are paramount to the IOC and the Olympic Movement. We need to make every effort to keep athletes safe and to guard their rights. I am pleased that we can today initiate this certificate to enhance awareness and education in this important area of athlete welfare, reinforcing the stance against all forms of harassment and abuse in sport,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.
In another effort, 11 additional webinars for NOCs will be available in four different languages from October 2020 onwards. This series intends to address cultural challenges faced by NOCs in developing and implementing athlete safeguarding initiatives, enhance their capacity in athlete safeguarding, facilitate the sharing of best practices and provide access to a group of experts who can offer further support. It builds on the success of a webinar series organised for IFs in 2019.
Additionally, the IOC is planning a safe sport digital education and awareness campaign starting in the fourth quarter of 2020. This Athlete365 campaign will look to build global awareness around safe sport in the run-up to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
The overarching principle of the safe sport digital education and awareness campaign is to safeguard athletes, protect the integrity of sport and promote sporting values, through:
- Educating and empowering athletes with knowledge of what safe sport means.
Removing the stigma surrounding this topic and moving the conversation towards a positive message of support and solidarity.
Encouraging action by providing easily understood education, and awareness of reporting frameworks and procedures such as the IOC Games-Time Framework, during the Olympic and Youth Olympic Games.
The IOC has been raising awareness of athlete safeguarding globally by encouraging every sports and sport-for-development organisation to tackle this issue and improve athlete protection. This new initiative further strengthens the IOC’s commitment to educating and making the Olympic Movement aware of the importance of safeguarding.
As of Rio 2016, an IOC Safeguarding Officer has been present and available to all athletes competing at the Olympic and Youth Olympic Games.
Through the work of its Prevention of Harassment and Abuse in Sport (PHAS) Working Group, the IOC has been striving to guide and assist the IFs and NOCs in developing their own policies to prevent harassment and abuse.
In 2017, the IOC launched the “IOC Athlete Safeguarding Toolkit” in collaboration with over 50 stakeholders, including athletes, IFs, NOCs and subject-matter experts. Previously, in 2016, the “IOC Guidelines for IFs and NOCs related to creating and implementing a policy to safeguard athletes from harassment and abuse in sport” were released.
Further information on the IOC’s educational activities to prevent harassment in sport can be found here.
Source: 9 September 2020,
IOC
All Sports
United Kingdom
New Sport Integrity Forum to be set up in Britain following UK Anti-Doping research
A new Sport Integrity Forum is to be established in Britain following research carried out on behalf of UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) at Swansea University and published today.
The Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS) has agreed to back the Forum and report on progress to Ministers on an annual basis.
The research at Swansea University was tasked to identify if issues of integrity, such as match-fixing, safeguarding, corruption, misconduct or doping, are linked, and investigate if there are benefits to sport working closely on minimising the threat of these issues.
Several British sports have been linked to allegations of bullying and harassment, including canoeing, cycling and gymnastics.
"Anti-doping is just one issue where the integrity of sport is under threat," UKAD chair Trevor Pearce said.
Safeguarding, discrimination, match-fixing and organisational corruption are all threats to the values we hold dear in sport
"As an organisation which lives and breathes the fight for integrity in sport, UKAD wants to bring together a coalition of organisations to start to address and combat sport’s wider problems, with a single effort."
UK Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston promised to prove full Government support to implement the findings.
"Protecting the integrity of sport is paramount and I welcome today's report," he said.
"Our new Sport Integrity Forum will bring together organisations from across the sector to discuss some of the most complex challenges facing sport today.
"This will help to ensure that the UK continues to defend and strengthen the integrity of the sports we love."
Source: 27 August 2020,
Inside the games
All Sports
https://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php/articles/1097728/sport-integrity-forum-to-be-set-up-in-uk
CORRUPTION
Australia
EFFECTS OF CORRUPTION IN HARNESS RACING
The effects of corruption activity, perceptions of corruption activity and of integrity interventions in harness racing have been explored in a study commissioned by Harness Racing Victoria and conducted by the Melbourne Law School on behalf of the University of Melbourne.
Click here to read the study: https://www.thetrots.com.au/hrv/assets/File/THE%20EFFECTS%20OF%20CORRUPT%20ACTIVITY%2C%20PERCEPTIONS%20OF% 20CORRUPT%20ACTIVITY%20AND%20OF%20INTEGRITY%20INTERVENTIONS%20IN%20HARNESS%20RACING.pdf
Source: https://nationaltrotguide.com.au/effects-of-corruption-on-harness-racing/, 1 September 2020,
National Trot Guide Harness racing
Australia
Racing officials probe horse racing outfit over cryptocurrency scam
Australian racing officials are investigating a leading thoroughbred operation after its owner was accused in a US court of being involved in an international money-laundering scheme linked to a fake cryptocurrency.
Phoenix Thoroughbreds, which co-owns Australian group 1 winner Farnan which is trained by Gai Waterhouse, was banned from racing in France earlier this month after a prosecution witness alleged in a New York court that its Dubai-based owner Amer Abdulaziz Salman had stolen $161 million in the OneCoin cryptocurrency scheme.
OneCoin has been described as one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency scams and is estimated to have swindled $7.2 billion from investors across Europe, Africa and Australia.
Investors purchased the virtual coins after being told they would skyrocket in value, but they were never able to cash them out. At least one Australian victim lost $100,000 in retirement funds. Advertisement Racing NSW confirmed it was investigating Phoenix Thoroughbreds, while Racing Victoria said it was in contact with international jurisdictions about the allegations.
Phoenix recently pulled out of racing in the UK and released a statement reaffirming its long-term commitment to Australian racing, which Mr Abdulaziz described as "a cornerstone of our business".
The operation owns more than 100 horses in Australia including the recently retired two-time group 1 winning sprinter Loving Gaby, who clocked up $2.2 million in prize money.
The 2020 Golden Slipper-winning Farnan, trained by Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, was purchased for $550,000. Farnan has won $2.5 million in prize money and is on track for a lucrative spring carnival. Ms Waterhouse and Mr Bott were contacted for comment.
Phoenix has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Source: 29 August 2020,
The Age Horse
Racing
- Asian Racing Federation Australia BETTING Cyprus Dota2 ESIC FIFA; International Soccer Players' Union Football horse racing ICC anti-corruption code INVESTIGATIONS IOC LEGISLATION Match Fixing SENTENCES_SANCTIONS Singapore Starlizard Integrity Services Stats Perform Integrity The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates (UAE) United Kingdom United States Zimbabwe
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